Adjustable mounting arrangement for hand-held shower head

ABSTRACT

An adjustable mounting arrangement for hand-held shower heads includes a frusto-conical hose coupling, secured to the shower head, and a wall-mounted bracket in which the coupling is supported. The bracket includes opposed sidewalls containing a plurality of opposed pairs of channels of tapered arcuate crosssection such that each channel pair is capable of supporting the frusto-conical hose coupling. Each channel pair is oriented at a different angle relative to the vertical whereby the shower head is supported at a different angle by each channel pair. The hose coupling is rotatable, about its own longitudinal axis, within each support channel pair to provide additional positioned adjustment of the shower head. The front end of the bracket is opened to permit the hose to fit therethrough when the shower head is being placed in or removed from the bracket.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,826,454 Zieger July 30, 1974 ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT 536,157 11/1955 Italy 248/75 FOR HANDHELD SHOWER HEAD 127,473 2/1950 Sweden.... 248/75 91,737 3/1938 Sweden 248/75 [75] Inventor: Claus D. Zieger, Covina, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Interbath, Inc., Covina, Calif.

[22] Filed: July 24, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 274,511

[52] 0.5. CI 248/75, 248/274, 248/314 [51] Int. Cl B05b 15/08 [58] Field of Search 248/7580, 248/274, 82, 84, 86, 88, 122, 288, 42, 44, 42 5.7l..; 249; 4 1. 1 24.9 454, 4 299, 314; 306/6; 239/587, 588; 403E1 1; 211/101, 102, 74, 69.5, 69.6; 240/52. R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,652 3/1886 Weiss 306/6 1,009,913 11/1911 Maguire ct a1 248/288 1,097,746 5/1914 Benton 248/80 1,809,550 6/1931 Farrcr 248/80 2,072,345 3/1937 Schneider 248/75 3,164,160 l/l965 Small 248/44 X 3,499,626 3/1970 Barker 248/75 X R2l.670 12/1940 Conklin 248/75 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,042,242 10/1953 France 248/75 Primary Examiner--Marion Parsons, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Rodney H. Bonck Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Rose & Edell 5 7 ABSTRACT An adjustable mounting arrangement for hand-held shower heads includes a frusto-conical hose coupling, secured to the shower head, and a wall-mounted bracket in which the coupling is supported. The

bracket includes opposed sidewalls containing a plurality of opposed pairs of channels of tapered arcuate cross-section such that each channel pair is capable of supporting the frusto-conical hose coupling. Each channel pair is oriented at a different angle relative to the vertical whereby the shower head is supported at a different angle by each channel pair. The hose coupling is rotatable, about its own longitudinal axis, within each support channel pair to provide additional positioned adjustment of the shower head. The front end of the bracket is opened to permit the hose to fit therethrough when the shower head is being placed in or removed from the bracket.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures direction.

B C. KQRQIJNQQFTHE INVENTION The present invention relates to mounting arrangements for shower heads, and particularly to an inexpensive mounting arrangement for shower heads of the hand-held type which provides a large degree of positional adjustability for the shower head when it is inserted in its mount.

While hand-held shower heads are quite advantageous for spraying certain portions of a bathers body, it is often necessary for the bather to place the shower head in its mount in order that both hands may be otherwise employed. In such instances it is important that the mounting arrangement have a large degree of positional adjustability to accommodate different size bathers and to permit direction of the shower spray onto different portions of the body.

Prior art adjustable mounting arrangements for handheld showers are usually made of metal and employ an elbow joint, to permit pivotal movement in the vertical plane, and a swivel joint, which also serves as a support, to permit rotation in a horizontal plane. Besides constituting an additional part in a hand shower assembly, such an albow joint most often includes some protruding shape (matching a wall hook or wall flange with holes) and puts an awkward bend into the hand shower hose alignment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting bracket for a hand-held shower head, which bracket can be made of plastic and yet provides reliable positional adjustability without the need for periodic maintenance.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a reliable and inexpensive mounting arrangement for hand-held shower heads, which arrangement permits a high degree of adjustability for the shower spray BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the. following detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view in plan of the bracket in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a top view in plan of the bracket in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a front view in plan of the bracket of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view in section taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial front-partial bottom view in section taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 6 is a rear view in plan of the bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing; a shower head 10 of the hand-held type is secured to a flexible hose 11 by means of coupling member 12. The hose. in turn, is coupled to a source of pressurized water (not shown) such as is present in most shower or bath installations. Coupling member 12 includes an outside surface of generally frusto-conical configuration and has its largest diameter portion at the end 12 is supported in plastic bracket which is adapted '7 A to be secured to a vertical wall 13 by means of screws 14, adhesive, or the like.

Bracket 15 includes an interior open space bounded 5 by vertical sidewalls 16 and 17, a vertical rear wall 18,

a horizontal top wall 19 and a horizontal bottom wall 20. The front of bracket 15 includes a first surface 21 which projects forwardly and downwardly from the front edge of top wall 19 at an angle of approximately 45 relative to the vertical. A second front surface 22 projects forwardly and upwardly from the front edge of bottom wall 20 at an angle of 45 relative to the vertical. Since bottom wall 20 is longer, front to rear, than top wall 19, surface 21 is longer than surface 22 and the two surfaces intersect closer to the bottom wall than the top wall.

Rear wall 18 is of generally rectangular configuration and extends over the entire height and width of the bracket. The rear wall comprises a flat peripheral rectangular rim which is adapted to abut mounting wall 13. Interiorly of the rim is a recessed region. Mounting holes, if provided, extend through the entire thickness of rear wall 18 in an unrecessed portion in order that the holes may terminate flush against the mounting wall. The mounting holes are sized to permit screws 14 to be inserted therethrough and engage wall 13.

The interior surface of sidewall 17 has three adjacent channels 23, 24 and 25 defined therein and extending from surface 21 through the bracket to bottom wall 20. Each channel has an arcuate cross-sectional configuration which narrows and reduces in curvature as in the direction toward bottom wall 20. The radius of curvature of each channel is selected to match a portion of the contour of coupling member 12. The longitudinal axis of each channel subtends a different angle with the vertical. Similar arcuate channels 27, 28 and 29 are defined in the interior surface of sidewall 16 so as to directly face respective channels 23, 24 and 25.

The arcuate length of each channel is sufficient to permit coupling member 12 to be supported in each pair of opposing channels 23, 27; 24, 28; and 25, 29. Since each pair of support channels subtends a different angle relative to the vertical, the vertical angular position of shower head 10 is varied in accordance with the channel pair into which coupling member 12 is inserted.

An opening 30 is defined through front surface 22 and an un-channelled portion of surface 21 to permit communication with the interior of the bracket from the front thereof. The width of opening 30 (from side to side) is greater than the diameter of hose 11 but smaller than the smallest diametric dimension of coupling member 12. The shower head may be removed from bracket 15 by lifting the shower head until coupling member 12 clears surface 21 and then pulling hose 11 through opening 30. Likewise, the shower head may be replaced in the bracket by raising coupling member 12 above surface 21, pushing hose 11 through opening 30 into the bracket interior, and then lowering the coupling member into the desired pair of support channels.

In addition to the vertical position adjustability afforded by the plural pairs of support channels, the shower head may be rotated within each support channel pair about the longitudinal axis of coupling member 12. The spray may thus be manually swept from side to w c is ar d ta l ws heat! 10.- Plinsmmber side in each verticalpqsitionqf $113 lead; M

It is to be understood that while three pairs of support channels have been illustrated in the preferred embodiment, any number of such channel pairs, from two on up, may be utilized within the scope of the present invention. In the three position arrangement, the three angular positions of the shower head relative to the vertical may be, for example, 55, 65, and 75.

While bracket is preferably made of plastic or other inexpensively contoured material; a variety of materials may be utilized within the scope of the invention. The preferred plastic embodiment is made possible, however, by virtue of the negligible frictional engagement required between moving parts in the mounting arrangement; the rotary movement of the coupling member 12 in the support channels does not wear away the channel surfaces. Bracket 12 can thus be formed by conventional inexpensive plastic forming processes.

The disclosed embodiment uses a hose with a conical coupling. Instead of being round it could also be multifaceted. However, because this mounting arrangement is not coupled with a hook or wall flange with holes, the hose coupling does not include a stud or similar shape and can therefore be used as standard fitting on any hose, for this or any other hand shower model.

While I have described and illustrated one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be clear that variations of the details of construction which are specifically illustrated and described may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A multi-position mounting bracket for a shower head of the type which is adapted to be hand-held and which receives pressurized water from a flexible hose coupled to said shower head by means of a frustoconical coupling member, said frusto-conical coupling member being convergent in the direction away from said shower head, said bracket being an integrally formed one-piece member comprising:

a pair of opposed sidewalls defining an open region therebetween;

a rear wall joining said opposed sidewalls; and

plural pairs of opposed support channels defined in the interior surfaces of said sidewalls, the channels in each pair of support channels being configured to correspond to respective peripheral portions of said frusto-conical coupling member and having sufficient arcuate length to permit each pair of support channels to provide sole support for said shower head at said coupling member.

2. The bracket according to claim 1 wherein said rear wall is adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall, and wherein the channels formed in each sidewall are adjacent one another and arranged at different angles with respect to said rear wall, said channels narrowing in the direction generally toward said rear wall.

3. The bracket according to claim 2 wherein the front of said bracket is open to permit passage of said hose therethrough.

4. The bracket according to claim 3 made entirely of plastic.

5. The bracket according to claim 1 wherein said rear wall is adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall, wherein the front of said bracket includes two intersecting surfaces projecting forwardly from the top and bottom of said brackets, and wherein said support channels extend from the uppermost of said two intersecting surfaces to the bottom of said sidewalls, each pair of channels subtending a different angle with respect to said rear wall.

6. The bracket according to claim 5 wherein said bracket is fabricated entirely from plastic and includes a frontal opening through said two intersecting surfaces to permit said flexible hose to be inserted into and removed from the interior region of said bracket. 

1. A multi-position mounting bracket for a shower head of the type which is adapted to be hand-held and which receives pressurized water from a flexible hose coupled to said shower head by means of a frusto-conical coupling member, said frustoconical coupling member being convergent in the direction away from said shower head, said bracket being an integrally formed one-piece member comprising: a pair of opposed sidewalls defining an open region therebetween; a rear wall joining said opposed sidewalls; and plural pairs of opposed support channels defined in the interior surfaces of said sidewalls, the channels in each pair of support channels being configured to correspond to respective peripheral portions of said frusto-conical coupling member and having sufficient arcuate length to permit each pair of support channels to provide sole support for said shower head at said coupling member.
 2. The bracket according to claim 1 wherein said rear wall is adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall, and wherein the channels formed in each sidewall are adjacent one another and arranged at different angles with respect to said rear wall, said channels narrowing in the direction generally toward said rear wall.
 3. The bracket according to claim 2 wherein the front of said bracket is open to permit passage of said hose therethrough.
 4. The bracket according to claim 3 made entirely of plastic.
 5. The bracket according to claim 1 wherein said rear wall is adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall, wherein the front of said bracket includes two intersecting surfaces projecting forwardly from the top and bottom of said brackets, and wherein said support channels extend from the uppermost of said two intersecting surfaces to the bottom of said sidewalls, each pair of channels subtending a different angle with respect to said rear wall.
 6. The bracket according to claim 5 wherein said bracket is fabricated entirely from plastic and includes a frontal opening through said two intersecting surfaces to permit said flexible hose to be inserted into and removed from the interior region of said bracket. 